The Disaster At the Thrasymene Lake
The day was exceedingly misty: and as soon as the
greater part of the Roman line was in the valley,
and the leading maniples were getting close to
him, Hannibal gave the signal for attack; and at the same time
sent orders to the troops lying in ambush on the hills to do
the same, and thus delivered an assault upon the enemy at
every point at once. Flaminius was taken completely by
surprise: the mist was so thick, and the enemy were charging
down from the upper ground at so many points at once, that
not only were the Centurions and Tribunes unable to relieve
any part of the line that was in difficulties, but were not even
able to get any clear idea of what was going on: for they were
attacked simultaneously on front, rear, and both flanks. The
result was that most of them were cut down in the order of
march, without being able to defend themselves: exactly as
though they had been actually given up to slaughter by
the folly of their leader. Flaminius himself, in a state
of the utmost distress and despair, was attacked and killed
by a company of Celts. As many as fifteen thousand
Romans fell in the valley, who could neither yield nor defend
themselves, being habituated to regard it as their supreme
duty not to fly or quit their ranks. But those who were
caught in the defile between the lake and the cliff perished in
a shameful, or rather a most miserable, manner: for being
thrust into the lake, some in their frantic terror endeavoured
to swim with their armour on, and presently sank and were
drowned; while the greater number, wading as far as they could
into the lake, remained there with their heads above water;
and when the cavalry rode in after them, and certain death
stared them in the face, they raised their hands and begged
for quarter, offering to surrender, and using every imaginary
appeal for mercy; but were finally despatched by the
enemy, or, in some cases, begged the favour of the fatal
blow from their friends, or inflicted it on themselves. A
number of men, however, amounting perhaps to six thousand,
who were in the valley, defeated the enemy immediately in
front of them; but though they might have done much to
retrieve the fortune of the day, they were unable to go to the
relief of their comrades, or get to the rear of their opponents,
because they could not see what was going on. They accordingly
pushed on continually to the front, always expecting to
find themselves engaged with some of the enemy: until they
discovered that, without noticing it, they were issuing upon
the higher ground. But when they were on the crest of
the hills, the mist broke and they saw clearly the disaster
which had befallen them; and being no longer able to do any
good, since the enemy was victorious all along the line, and in
complete possession of the ground, they closed their ranks and
made for a certain Etrurian village. After the battle Maharbal
was sent by Hannibal with the Iberians and light-armed troops
to besiege the village; and seeing themselves surrounded by a
complication of dangers, they laid down their arms and surrendered on condition of their lives being spared. Such was
the end of the final engagement between the Romans and
Carthaginians in Etruria.